


Abandoned (temp title)

by ImmortalChaos



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Child Abandonment, Child Neglect, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2020-03-01 09:17:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18797437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImmortalChaos/pseuds/ImmortalChaos
Summary: "Asura... he's a liability..." In which Shinigami decides Asura is not worth the trouble to train as a warlord and instead abandons him to fend for himself.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I need to work on something new to help with some writers block. So y'all get this side project. Some of you may recognize it. It's an edited version of a one-shot thing I posted a while ago. If you liked that one-shot then hopefully you'll like this since it will be an expanded version.

****"I don't think he can stay." The voice rang out in the darkness of the room, lowered so as to not disturb anyone else in the building. A large, black, clawed hand was used to support the shadowy figure leaning on the table. Opposite the shade sat another, covered entirely in robes and wearing a heavy, grated mask. "And I'm not saying that because I don't like him-"

"Though you obviously don't." The other figure interrupted, though the shade chose to ignore the comment.

"I'm saying it because it is true. Asura... he's a liability. The boy can't even from a simple shield Eibon. I've been trying to teach him that one, easy thing for a month! And his abilities in hand to hand combat are atrocious! As soon as you act even remotely aggressive towards him, he runs and hides behind Vajra! It's ridiculous  _and_  embarrassing!" The shade exclaimed, throwing both hands up in a surrendering motion.

Eibon could only sigh. Shinigami was a temperamental person, only kind to those he liked, and he had very little patience. Though the fight against the witches didn't leave much room for patience, he supposed. Still, the god had an obvious point. His son was a liability. If they could get him to stop cowering in a corner when he was supposed to be training, he could become a great asset until his inevitable downward spiral to madness. "Perhaps that is because Vajra has never yelled at him or brushed him off in his free time."

"Don't you lecture me. I'm very busy trying to find the Witch's Realm you know!" The Reaper exclaimed with an aggravated tone as he pointed accusingly at his friend.

"Not so much that you have no time to spare at all." Eibon stated, quickly continuing before Shinigami tried to interrupt. "While I personally do not care what you do with him, I feel I should remind you how bad it could be to leave an untrained Death God where anyone could find him. Best case scenario, his powers get out of control and someone gets hurt. Worst case scenario, the witches find him and he's imprisoned and tortured for information he doesn't have or he goes mad."

"...I have thought of those possibilities. I just need to find a place that's isolated enough for neither of those possibilities to occur. Rest assured, I will think of something." Shinigami said, trying to sound reassuring as he brought the conversation to an end.

"Have you considered just killing him? It may sound harsh but it would spare him a lot of trouble in the future. And perhaps it would be more humane than leaving him alone to fend for himself, which would probably lead him to madness sooner." Eibon suggested. It was mostly made in curiosity, Shinigami was rarely faced with such a dilemma. He could kill his fragment,  _his son_ , and spare the boy the pain of war or madness or abandonment. He could abandon the terrified godling and leave him to the mercy of the elements or possibly his enemies. He could keep him and continue his training and involve Asura in their fight, most definitely traumatizing him and speeding up his downfall with the added stress.

Shinigami himself was well aware of the possible repercussions of his choices. He stood frozen at the new suggestion. Eibon was right. He could just kill Asura. But some part of him was repulsed at the idea. As of now, Asura was just an innocent young god. He had never harmed anyone, not counting some of his worst panic episodes and even then it was usually himself and not others. He didn't ask to be made the way he was. Though Shinigami disliked his fear very much, he couldn't blame his fragment for being so afraid.

There was also the possibility of the few humans with them reacting poorly. Vajra was especially fond of his son and, like most humans, had a very strong sense of what was right or wrong. There was most likely going to be a rift between him and his warlords if he did kill Asura. So no, he didn't think he could kill Asura, not without a good reason anyway. And he had already decided Asura was more of a liability than anything right now so he couldn't stay with them. "I think... I think it's better to find a safe place for him. I just need a bit of time.

The sorcerer sighed, obviously wanting to say more but knowing better than to test the Reaper's patience. Instead he simply said, "He is your fragment, so do as you see fit. Just be careful, there are many things that could go wrong."

"I know."

* * *

It really was a disappointment to get rid of Asura, the boy could have been a powerful ally once he was properly trained. Until then however, he was going to be a liability. With the witches growing bolder and gaining new abilities, they might try to approach their base while Shinigami and his warriors were gone on a campaign. There was a large chance that they could find the young god, and that wasn't something he was willing to risk.

There were times when he was second guessing his plan though. Mostly when he would watch his fragment -saying fragment made the choice easier than calling him son- and the young weapon Vajra. He almost felt bad for the boys, when there were no missions Asura could always be found by the taller boy's side. But he had quickly convinced himself otherwise. Asura was bound to fall into Madness, so he would be saving Vajra the pain of having to watch his friend lose his sanity. He would put Asura somewhere that he could not hurt anyone.

It took some time, but he had finally found a place. Now all he had to do was get Asura out there. It was easier said than done for sure. He had made sure to send all of the humans away on missions first. They would certainly disapprove and Vajra may even try to follow them. He couldn't have that now. He'd told Asura that they were going out to train for a while. Asura had hesitantly nodded in understanding after being told that it might help him learn to use his powers faster if there was no one around that he could hurt.

The best part was that it sat in a dead zone where witch activity was concerned. There was nothing for miles, but that was just what he wanted. No one to hurt, and no reason for witches to come looking. There were the ruins of an old town, but it had been abandoned ages ago for whatever reason. Some of the buildings still managed to stay up, and one seemed good enough for Asura to stay in.

Soon enough Asura stood beside him, face uncovered for once while he shifted nervously. He had a couple of bags slung over his shoulders and layers of clothes that would be useful where they were going. Shinigami held Excalibur in one hand, and a single slash was all it took to open the portal there. The elder Reaper leapt through first, turning to beckon the boy towards him. The young god followed after a moment's hesitation.

The moment Asura's feet hit the snowy ground he slipped, toppling forward and landing face first in a snowdrift. Once he pushed himself up again he turned to look at his father with wide, terrified eyes. Honestly, Shinigami almost felt sorry for him but he wouldn't let that get in the way of his goal. He reached down, ignoring the shivering he felt as he grabbed the boy's arm and yanked him up.

Once he was steady, Asura asked in a quiet whisper, "W-why is...Why is the ground so c-c-cold...?" There was a pause when he looked around the area before adding, "Why is everything white?"

Shinigami had to bite back a particularly mean comment and remind himself that the fragment had never seen snow before. This was an entirely new experience for him and of course he would be afraid of something new. With a sigh he explained, "It's snow Asura. Frozen rain. There's also things like sleet and hail though. Those are like snow but bigger pieces. I'll tell you more about it later though. For now we should go find shelter, it looks like we might get hit with a blizzard soon." The shade tilted his head back to peer up at the sky, which was a dark gray. It was only Asura tugging on his cloak lightly that brought his attention back.

"Blizzard?" The boy asked, looking at the older god with a mix of fear and curiosity.

"Once we find shelter, I promise to explain." The man repeated himself, a slightly exasperated tone hidden in his words.

"... Okay..."

With that settled, he turned to where he knew the house was standing. Behind him was the obvious crunch of footsteps through the snow. At first Asura kept pace but he soon stated to slow, glancing around at the empty ruins around them. Shinigami heard something clatter to the ground, his only warning a shriek before Asura barreled into his back and wrapped his thin arms around the shade. "Relax Asura, it was probably just the wind blowing something over. Maybe a small animal."

"How do you know that!? What if it's a wolf?! Or a bear!" The young god exclaimed, though his voice was barely at the level most people would speak at. His golden eyes widened in terror as he added in a quiet whisper. "What if someone else is here?" His whole expression turned to one of sheer horror and he tried again to hide himself in his father's cloak, only to be pushed away.

It took everything the man had to not shove the boy to the ground. Asura's constant fear was already getting on his nerves. "No one is here Asura! Use your Soul Perception and you will be able to sense them if they are." He grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him along tired of waiting for him. Eventually he stopped in front of a small house. The door was slightly ajar, but he supposed the wind was to blame. Shinigami wasted no time in dragging his fragment into the buildingdespite Asura's weak protests about how unsafe it looked.

The floor was simple, inlaid stone with a pit in the center for a fire. The furniture was sprawled around like the owners left in a hurry. Shinigami set the bags he'd brought down and moved to the fire pit. They didn't really need a fire, but it would be more comfortable. He turned to beckon Asura over to teach him. But found the boy missing. He felt a bit of worry twist in his gut but brushed it off. Asura probably went to explore the rest of the house, so the man went to find him.

It didn't take long, he had wandered off into a smaller room just off the main room. It was a bedroom, small enough for a child, with a worn old bed in the corner and a small chest at the foot of it. Asura was sitting on the bed, a small wooden animal held in his hands and a cloth doll set next to him. It looked to Shinigami like he was inspecting them. "What did you find?" The man asked, flinching a bit when Asura jumped.

The boy looked down at the toys and then back at his father, looking confused. "I...I... don't know..." He admitted, holding them up and asking, "What are these?" The doll and the wooden animal, a horse he realized now that he could see it, looked pretty old. Shinigami was tempted to snap at his fragment for not knowing what they were, but then he remembered that he'd never given Asura toys, or anything really. He supposed it wasn't the boy's fault that he didn't know. How could he when he's never seen or heard of them before now.

"That is a doll. The other one there is a wooden horse." Shinigami stated flatly as he pointed to each one. He watched Asura's gaze shift from him to each toy then back to him again before adding, "They're toys, you're supposed to play with them."

Now focused solely on the toys he held, Asura spoke. "... play?" His voice was so quiet, the elder god assumed it was directed at himself. "How... how do I...?" The simple, unfinished question hit hard, a painfully tight knot forming in the man's chest.

Fuck...No. No, no, no, no, no. He was not getting attached to the boy now! Not when he was so close to finally being rid of the personification of his fear. Still, the lost look on Asura's face only made his chest hurt more. He didn't want to think about it anymore, knowing that it was his own fault the fragment didn't understand what he meant. Pushing the discomfort aside, he added, " Alright Asura, let's start a fire for now. It's only going to get colder when nighttime comes."

Hesitantly, Asura got up and followed him back out to the main room. He had a lot to show Asura before he could leave, but once he did he would be gone.

* * *

Three days later in the dead of night, Shinigami got up and left the house. Once outside he summoned his jets and prepared to take off. before he could, he heard a quiet voice, barely noticeable with the sound of the wind whistling through the town and rattling the houses' shutters. "...F-father?" It was Asura, he must have sensed him leaving and woken up. The older Reaper refused to admit that it was impressive.

When he got no response, Asura tried again. "... father...what... what are you doing? I-it's cold out here... You sh-shouldn't be outside right no-" Asura cut himself of then, finally noticing the jets. A heavy weight settled over the boy, the familiar feeling of panic swelling up and wrapping around his chest. His next words came out louder, voice cracking as he said, "Are you leaving?! Y-you can't! I-I-I can't fly! How...How will I follow you?!'

The older god sighed, turning around to face Asura. He set his hands on the boy's shoulders, waiting for Asura to look up at him before saying, "Listen to me, okay? I'm only going back to the manor to see if everything is okay. They might need me for something and I might need to go to a battle, but I will come back. I promise." He paused, staring into wide, teary golden eyes for a moment, then adding, "So...Take care of yourself until I come back. Okay?"

"But-" Asura began to speak in a much softer tone. Shinigami pretended not to hear him though, not wanting to wait for a response and possibly change his mind. He gave the younger god an awkward pat on his head before taking to the air as quickly as possible.

Asura shrieked, startled by the sudden movement. He called after him as he started running behind the man as best he could on the slippery ground. "Wait! Father wait! Please!" There was no response, only escalating the terror he felt at being left alone in this place. "Don't leave me! Father! Fath-AHHH!" He screamed as he stepped on an unseen patch of ice, crashing face first into the snow. Slowly he pushed himself up, wincing as he put weight on his hands.

One glance at them showed small scratches that would be healed soon enough. And now that he knew he was okay he looked up, trying to spot the dark form of his father ahead of him. There was nothing but the white of the snow and the looming shadows of the surrounding buildings. A familiar uneasiness settled over him and he slowly got to his feet, trudging back to the house he was supposed to be staying in. Once safely inside he barricaded the door to keep it from blowing open and sat by the fire, shivering as he tried to warm up.

He couldn't believe it. This wasn't really happening, right? His father didn't really just leave him all alone in some unknown place, right? This was just a bad dream. That was what he wanted to think, but it wasn't just a dream. He really was alone out here, where there were none of the comforts of home. The constant chatter was gone, replaced by silence. The warmth of the desert replaced by freezing cold. There were no warriors out here, no father. Vajra wasn't here either, he wouldn't be able to help when he got too scared. He couldn't run to Vajra's room when he couldn't sleep either. For the first time ever, he was truly alone. And it scared, no, terrified him to think that.

Every sound was amplified now. Each creak of the wooden building made him freeze, checking with soul perception to be sure no one had snuck in. The banging of the shutters in the wind would make him jump when they smacked too hard off the side of the house. Even with the fire, he noticed the cold seeping in through the walls. A nagging fear settled in his gut as he sat alone now. What if Shinigami had abandoned him? What if he truly hated him so much?

Asura wasn't stupid. He understood that Shinigami thought poorly of him, after all he was the fear Death hated so much he chose to throw it away. He was aware of Death's talk about his, supposedly inevitable, fall into Madness. Of how Death always seemed more irritable in his presence and was far more angry trying to train him in his Reaper magics. But Shinigami shouldn't hate him so much that he'd leave his own son alone in the middle of nowhere where he had no guarantee of Asura's safety.

It would have been very dangerous. He couldn't fight, if something happened he could be hurt or worse. His stomach twisted into knots at the thought of being found by one of his father's enemies. They would undoubtedly be merciless. The books he'd read were more than enough to fule his imagination on whatever gruesome tortures he would be put through if it was one of Shinigami's enemies. But Death must have considered that. He wouldn't leave his own child alone if he thought that there was any possibility of him being attacked or captured. He would never abandon him to an unknown fate, right?

No. Of course not! He knew his father would come back for him. Shinigami had to come back after all. He promised. In the mean time, maybe he could practice some of the Reaper magics Shinigami tried to teach him. Surely he would be proud for once if Asura could manage to do what they came for.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know what you think about this fic! Please, of you like it let me know!

The days wore on as Asura waited. He'd quickly learned to make sure he had food stored away because the snow storms could last for days. Sure, he didn't really need to eat. He was a god. However, his body had become used to having food and the feeling of hunger was terribly uncomfortable even if it wouldn't kill him. Sometimes, when the storms were long and his supplies were low, he would fear starvation despite knowing this.

Sometimes he would fear the house's collapse as the strong winds berated the sides. A section of the roof had already been torn off towards the back since he'd been there, creaking loudly before an echoing snap had terrified him and he'd curled into a ball to hide himself from what he'd feared may have been an enemy. He hadn't seen it until the storm ended as he'd been cowering by the fire until the morning after.

Worse yet a constant paranoia pulled at his gut, telling him he had actually been abandoned. At first he had an easy time telling himself that wasn't true, but as the days turned to weeks and weeks to months he wasn't so sure. Still he had to cling tightly to the idea if only for his own sanity. The thought of being able to go home one day helped him manage to do as Death showed him to survive. When the fear became too much and he truly believed that was what happened, he would remind himself of all the times Death or any of his warlords were gone on long missions. They always came back and while he still feared he may be wrong this time, it did reassure him a little bit.

Thinking of home brought about thoughts of another thing he learned. To quote Vajra, "homesickness is a bitch". He missed their fortress despite how empty it was and how easy it was to lose his way. How the shadows in it always seemed eerily long as if reaching out to grab anyone walking by. It was always warm there, something he never really appreciated until now. No matter what he did here he was always freezing. Perhaps Vajra had been right when he'd jokingly called him cold-blooded for always being cold to the touch on matter how hot it got.

That was something else he missed. Vajra. The very persistent person who had insisted on being his friend since they were the youngest among Shinigami's team. Though technically Asura hadn't been a part of that team, he was supposed to be training for it and Vajra had sworn they would be partners. He missed having his friend's comfort and having someone to talk to. Missed their late night conversations. Or times like when they raided the kitchen late one night, Vajra's idea of course, Asura would never have been so bold alone. They had been caught once and Vajra teased him for days later, claiming he'd scurried away with like a rat in the presence of a cat with everything he'd managed to snatch. If his soul perception wasn't so good, he would have thought Vajra was truly being mean instead of playfully teasing him.

He missed the other warlords too, despite most paying him no mind or seeming wary of him. Their constant presence was comforting to feel. He knew he would be safe. He missed Eibon, who was usually with his father if not cooped up in his study or spending time with his wife. He missed Eibon's wife too. Charlotte, she always tried to treat him well despite Asura's skittish nature leading him to avoid her. He would say he liked her. He missed the other humans, though he avoided them often. They seemed wary of him when he was alone but with Vajra they didn't mind being near him as much. Vajra suggested it was because he was still a god despite his appearance, and humans tended to treat gods very differently.

Asura even found he missed the Black Mass. He had gotten used to its presence and had been expecting to turn a corner to see it lurking somewhere in the shadows. It had been a surprise to find he missed it too, considering how badly the Black Mass terrified him. After being alone for so long, he may even hug the damned thing. And, despite having to question his sanity upon this realization, he missed Excalibur. The sword was annoying and had expectations for meisters that were way too high, but at least he was familiar. His pointless chatter would be preferable to the silence at least. Maybe. Only for a couple seconds. Anymore would lead him to try and crawl through the nearest exit and he was certain of that.

Today found him laying among the furs and blankets he'd gathered and set on the larger bed from upstairs. He'd managed to move it from the loft above on his third day of being too cold to sleep decently and placed it as close to the fire as he dared too. It had tumbled over the edge and taken some damage, a few nicks and cracks and a lost leg, but Asura simply stuck an old chair under the corner where the leg had snapped off and it worked well enough. A part of him hadn't wanted to leave the bed, but he knew he had to. There was work to be done and if he didn't, he feared he may freeze or starve or even go mad.

The routine he'd worked out for himself was somewhat grounding and gave him something else to focus on instead of the whispers in the back of his mind, promising safety and protection from what ever frightened him. He'd almost listened once, but the feeling of madness creeping over him had been frightening to the rational part of him. Often times he could hear some of those voices picking at him, focusing on how he'd been so useless to Death that his father had just left him all alone.

Slowly he got up, first peering around the main room. There was no one else there, as usual, and he focused on his soul perception. Again there was nothing and disappointment squeezed at his chest. Shinigami still hadn't come back for him but he couldn't sit around doing nothing even if the idea was very tempting. From there it was on to the usually routine. Search the building in case he's somehow missed someone sneaking up on him, check the fire, grab some kind of food and make sure it was stocked, make the bed, and leave to scavenge for anything that might be useful to him among the wreckage of the other passed as usual with nothing odd happening and eventually Asura returned to his camp.

It wasn't until dusk that he'd noticed something... off. He'd been huddled under blankets by the fire, leaning against the bed and cautiously nibbling on some sweet jam he'd found buried in the remains of someone's ruined storage when he'd felt a presence approaching. At first he'd perked up thinking that Death had finally come back for him. However, when he tried to check he realized it most certainly wasn't Death. In fact, the presence wasn't familiar at all. Frightened, Asura stood up and wrapped the blankets tighter around him. Whoever it was, the were heading his way and he wasn't sure he could fight against them. They could be enemies of Death's and he certainly did not want to find out what they might do to him if that was the case.

Quickly snatching up his snack, a pair of flint and a candle, and a nearby knife, he bolted for the other side of the room to where he'd found a hatch for the cellar. He hated going down there, it was dark and damp and there were mice and spiders down there. But as much as he feared the basement, he could deal with those things for a short time if it meant he would be safe from whoever was approaching.

The hatch creaked as he pulled it open by its iron handle, the worn rug over top of it sliding off. He slipped in, lighting the candle and setting down everything he brought before climbing back up to fix the rug and slowly close the hatch to avoid catching the rug in it. Once safely inside Asura gathered his supplies again andwalked deeper into the cellar. The presence he felt above was growing closer and he hurried to the farthest corner of the cellar. There was a mess old barrels and a few shelves scattered around so Asura carefully moved a few to slip behind.

He had set up this area early on just on case of an emergency. There was a raised area he'd made by stacking scrap wood into a platform so that the extra furs and blankets he'd piled there wouldn't be soaked by the damp floor. He crawled onto the makeshift bed and carefully set the candle and flints in a the corner just past the platform. He had an extra stash of candles there as well in case his current one burnt out, and a few more preserve jars that he'd salvaged. Shivering, he wrapped the blanket around himself tightly and reopened the jar he'd brought with him.

Something creaked above him and his head snapped up. The unfamiliar souls were right above him now. Most likely they had seen the smoke from his fire. Asura cursed under his breath as he realized that he'd left his fire burning. Maybe they would have just passed by if he'd done that but instead he'd led them straight to his camp. The fear began to rear its ugly head and he had to struggle to keep the building madness at bay. If he let it go then he might be found.

The sound of voices drifted down to him from above and he strained to hear them. One sounded harsh and angry, another much calmer one responding. But he couldn't make out the words. He tried focusing his soul perception on them to find out what exactly he was hiding from. It took a moment but the heavy feel of magic tipped him off quickly. Witches.

Had they found him somehow? We're they looking for him? Or were they simply hiding out for the time being? If they were hiding, did that mean Death was nearby? Surely if Death was close he would come to protect him. All Asura had managed to learn was to properly summon his shield and even then it seemed to flicker wildly when he panicked. There was no way he could protect himself from witches with a small kitchen knife and a faulty shield. The terror and stress was starting to give him a headache.

A loud thunk sounded above, followed by loud cursing from the harsh sounding voice. It was coming from above the other side of the cellar. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest as the realization dawned on him, someone had quite literally stumbled on the hatch to the cellar. The creak of its old hinges prompted Asura to move. He lunged for the candle and quickly extinguished it's light the sudden darkness only amplified the sounds around him as he felt around for the knife he'd brought and backed into the far end of his makeshift hideout. It was a struggle to control his breathing as he heard the footsteps descending into the cellar. His free hand was clasped over his mouth tightly to muffle the frantic and shaky breathing.

A soft light filtered into the cellar, surely coming from one of the witches. Now that they were on the same level as him, he could hear their conversation. "Do you really think they're still here?" came the calmer voice. "There was a bit of a mess so they may have left in a hurry. Plus they left their fire burning."

"I'm certain Yoru. Someone was clearly here very recently and I doubt they could get far in the few minutes it took us to get to this place. Besides that, we flew in. We would have seen someone leaving." The angry sounding voice snapped back, turning the light towards the far wall. "Looks like they gathered a good bit of supplies here..."

"Oh! Is that a honey pot I spy! It's been a while since I've had any sweets. We can give some to little Leah too! I bet she'd love a treat." The calmer voice said as they bounded over to the shelving across the room. A stern, "Nyamu!" sounded out. Even from his hiding place Asura could hear the exaggerated sigh from the witch.

"Sorry Grand Witch. I'll focus." Asura could feel his heart skip a beat at those words. The Grand Witch was here! He could feel the fear crushing him as he let out a soft, shuddering breath. Tears pricked at his eyes and he couldn't stop himself from shaking. He couldn't be capture here. Not by the Grand Witch herself! He hoped that he was right about them fleeing from his father. If they were then maybe Death wouldn't be far behind and would be able to fight against them.

"Nyamu." The Grand Witch spoke again and began to walk ahead of the others. They fell into step behind her, continuing their investigation.

"So who do you think lives here anyway. They have a lot of stuff." The calmer voice, Yoru, spoke up again. "I mean, this place could probably feed the four of us for a couple of months with just the preserves. And you saw all that wood upstairs! We could live here or even set up a post!"

"Nyamu." _Priorities Yoru, we have a job to do._

"I agree. We're only here to rest and nothing more. Don't forget we have to prioritize Leah's safety above all else." The other witch's voice took on a softer edge now. "Though maybe we can consider it once we get Leah to safety?" There was a moment of silence before a resigned "Nyamu" was heard.

Suddenly the light drifted through the cracks between the wood and barrels around him. Asura squeezed his eyes shut, grip tightening on the knife so much that his knuckles turned white. Yoru spoke up suddenly, "That's... That's a lot of stuff. Kirai... Mabaa..."

"Yes, it really is."

"Nyamu." Go back. At the stern order, the two witches turned slowly with Kirai turning back once to glance at Mabaa. Mabaa herself stood firmly before Asura's hiding place, giving a warning "Nyamu" before falling silent yet again. He understood, she was giving him a chance to reveal himself but the terror kept him rooted to the spot. Either way he was screwed so what did it matter for him to stay there. When nothing happened Asura slowly opened his eyes to see what was happening. He peered through the cracks in his den, red eyes locking with the witch's dark ones.

The witch raised her hand, a quiet chant on her lips, and a gust of wind sliced through the air. Asura couldn't suppress the terrified scream that tore it's way out of him, curling up with his hands over his head to protect himself. He could hear the footsteps of the others come running towards his scream to aid their leader. On realizing he hadn't been hurt in the attack, Asura slowly lifted his head to find a solid red barrier surrounding him. A part of him swelled in pride at successfully summoning it but it was quickly crushed by the situation.

"Nyamu!" _Come out!_ The Grand Witch shouted at him, advancing towards the barrier. Her voice filled with venom now that she could see him clearly, her eyes narrowing, "Nyamu." _Reaper._ It sent another spike of fear through him and the barrier faltered. It flickered before fading away completely. Asura quickly raised his knife, holding it out upfront of him as if it were a shield and not a weapon. A blast of wind struck his hand, slicing it up and knocking the blade from his hands.

Asura gave a pained yelp, clutching the wounded hand tightly to his chest as he scrambled away from Mabaa until he was pressed flat against the wall. Now that he had been disarmed the other two witches approached quickly. "W-Wait!" He cried frantically, surprising the three witches before him. "P-please... I surrender! Just... Just please do not hurt me!"

The three witches shared a confused look briefly before the Grand Witch spoke again. _"Bind him."_ The taller of the two witches approached him first, the other walking off the the other side where he kept some of his extra supplies. This first witch had long, dark hair plaited down her back and an outfit that reminded Asura of some sort of canine. As she got closer to him, he cast a quick glance towards the knife again. He knew it would be a pointless attempt but since flight was not an option at the moment, his fight response was starting to take over.

Seeing this, witch sped up and quickly grabbed his arm. She pulled him farther away from the knife while he shrieked and tried desperately to break away from her iron grip. "Dammit! Stop struggling you already surrendered!" This was the witch with the harsh voice, Kirai. Frustrated with the young god's struggle she quickly kicked him in the back of his knee and forced him to the ground. She ignored the frightened whimpering from him and the pained whine as he tried squirming away from her, twisting his arms behind his back. "Yoru! Hurry up!"

"I'm coming!" Called the other witch as she hurried to them with a roll of twine in her hands. She leaned heavily on his back, trying to stop the reaper's struggles. "Sorry, took a second to find it. Now let me just..." She trailed off as she began to wrap it tightly around Asura's wrists, her movements faltering slightly when she felt him freeze beneath her. "Done!" Yoru exclaimed, standing up after giving the Reaper a gentle pat. He flinched under her touch but she either didn't notice or didn't care.

They hauled him to his feet and shoved him towards the open hatch. Kirai climbed up first, reaching back down to grab his shirt and help him up the ladder. Asura pulled back warily only for Yoru to shove him back into Kirai's reach. Once back on the first floor Kirai threw him aside and strode across the room.

Asura winced at the scrape on his shoulder from landing on the hard floor and struggled to sit up with his hands bound. Yoru appeared beside him, lifting him up and waiting until he was settled while frowning at how he flinched away from her touch. Sure it made sense he wouldn't like it after being attacked and thrown around but he was a reaper according to Mabaa. Reapers killed witches. Death himself was notorious for it, so if course this one would probably put a knife through them the second he got the chance.

Even with that though, Yoru got the strange feeling that this reaper was different. Perhaps it was because he had tried to hide, or because he surrendered so quickly. He simply didn't seem all that threatening. If anything he seemed more afraid of them than they were of him.

"Nyamu? _Who are you?_ _"_ Mabaa asked as she approached, her small stature doing nothing to alleviate her intimidating posture. The only response she got was a terrified stare and she growled out, "Answer me Reaper. You are Death's child yes? You must be. Who. Are. You." Asura nodded quickly when asked if he was Death's son. He struggled with giving a verbal response though and Mabaa was quickly becoming angry with the lack of answers.

After a long debate on whether of not to answer the, he managed to squeak out a quiet, "A-Asura..." Maybe Death would be angry with him for even speaking with Mabaa, but Asura was more worried about surviving this encounter right now.

 _"Asura?"_ He nodded as she repeated it back to him. _"Why are you here Asura? What are you doing so far from your home?"_

Again, it took him a moment to respond to her. "Tr-training... I... We're..." He had to stop for a moment before he could form a proper answer. "I was supposed to be training... Father said that... That it might help if there wasn't anyone else around that I could hurt. So we came here." Something clicked in the Grand Witch's mind, there was a brief time where Death had not been a frequent presence on the battlefield. He would seem to miss a few of the encounters his warlords had with her witches until recently. Now he was a far more common sight again. He had been trying to train this child, but now he no longer had to worry about it. She had the sneaking suspicion that she knew what was going on now, but still she had to be sure.

 _"And where is Death now?"_ The young reaper shrunk back, turning his head to look away from her.

"...I... I don't know. He said he'd come back though so I'm sure he will." His voice shook ever so slightly with uncertainty though, and Mabaa found she felt sorry for him. She crushed the feeling down as fast as she could. There was no way she would pity a Reaper.

"He just left you here? How long ago?" Yoru asked from beside him, her sudden question making him flinch away. Asura didn't respond, simply shifted so he could pull his legs to his chest and burying his face in his knees.

Kirai suddenly spoke up from across the room. "It sounds like you've been abandoned."

"Y-you don't know that..."

 _"Actually, we have been seeing more of Death lately. He has been attacking many of us more frequently."_ Mabaa stated cautiously. Asura peaked up at her, a skeptical look crossing his face before a resigned one replaced it. He sniffled quietly and hid his face again. They could see his shoulders shaking and the poor attempt at muffling his sobs.

He hated that he couldn't control himself enough to not burst into tears in front of his father's enemies. He really was a disgrace to Death. It was no wonder his father had left him. He could admit to himself that he'd known he was abandoned that night. Death hadn't woken him, so clearly he hadn't planned to say goodbye. Hell, he hadn't planned to be caught sneaking off late at night. He could pretend that wasn't the case on his own, but somehow hearing it from someone else made it seem as real as it was.

"Aww! It's okay!" Yoru reassured, wrapping her arms around Asura's shoulders and tightening her grip when he tried to pull away from her. "That big, mean old Death might have left you but you'll be fine! He seems awful to be around anyway. You're better off with us!"

Kirai yelled out, "Yoru! Don't hug him! He's a reaper! And what do you mean by 'better off with us'? He's a _Reaper_. Reapers _kill_ us!" The smaller witch responded by sticking her tongue out at her stubbornly. Asura himself had completely frozen. Not only was a witch hanging onto him, but he was caught in the middle of a fight between two of them. He could feel the panic building more and bit down until his lips bled to try and keep himself from screaming. The only sound he'd made was a frightened whimpering.

"Look at him Kirai! He's all alone anyway. Don't you think we can maybe... Oh I dunno take him?"

"T-take him? He. Is. A. Reaper. He is not one of your strays, he's a murderer." Kirai argued back as her voice stuttered in anger. Asura flinched at the accusing tone, he wasn't a murderer. He's never harmed anybody...on purpose. Is that what witches thought of him? Is that what they thought of Death? Carefully he lifted his head to glance at Mabaa, who sat watching with a contemplative look on her face.

When she finally spoke, it was a clear command. _"Yoru, release the Reaper."_ Kirai smiled smugly at that as Yoru pouted and obeyed, only for her face to fall once Mabaa continued. _"Yoru does have a point Kirai. Though you know how I feel about his kind, I do not believe this one has ever killed. Surely we would have seen him by now if he had. We have captured a Reaper. We cannot leave him for others to find. There are many worse people out there than us who would gladly use him without mercy."_

"You'd show mercy to one of them?"

 _"I would show mercy to an abandoned child. Though we will not take him without taking proper precautions, he may be of use to us. And even if he isn't, we cannot leave him for our enemies to make use of instead."_ Asura flinched at the way she spoke of him, as if he was just a thing. It made him indescribably uncomfortable.

Kirai pulled a disgusted face at the thought of bringing Asura along and delfated. "...If it is your will Grand Witch, then I will follow."

 _"Yoru, Kirai, bind him to that support beam over there. Be sure you tie his feet so that he cannot move. I will check on Leah."_ With that Mabaa stood, ignoring the sound of another struggle breaking out behind her. She slipped into the child's room to the side to check on the little witch they'd rescued from one of Death's attacks. Leah seemed to have slept soundly through the noise they made earlier, most likely exhausted from the long day.

She couldn't help but think of how he truly seemed to be a monster, disregarding the safety of witch children and even his own child. Surely there could be no logical reason to leave the teenage god alone like this. Though they had spoken briefly, she believed she had seen enough to understand. He was young and naive and so very scared. Something about his demeanor didn't quite match his father. He seemed unsure and meek, quiet. How could Death leave a child like that to the mercy of whoever found him? No decent witch would ever consider doing such an awful thing and if they did, they would be punished. She may have decided to bring the little Reaper with them but had no further plans for him. She needed to figure out what she would do fast.


	3. Chapter 3

The Reaper hadn't spoken to them since that first night, instead cowering away from them and watching with wary eyes. He barely moved as well, though he couldn't really do so if he wanted to with his hands bound behind him to a wooden beam and feet tied to keep him from running. But he hadn't shifted or struggled at all since they left him there. Instead he leaned back against the beam with his face partially tucked into the long scarves around his neck and dark hair obscuring his eyes. He had drawn his knees drawn up to his chest and after that he had sat still as a statue with only his eyes tracking their movements.

Mabaa shifted in her place by the fire as she watched the god and thought over everything they had learned about him. Asura. The boy had said his name was Asura. He was Death's son, a Reaper, their enemy. He was easily frightened and seemed to want to avoid conflict, as evident when they had first found him. Death had lured him out here and left him behind, abandoning his own child. After finally seeming to accept that fact Asura had shut down and refused to speak any more, simply sitting still and watching them.

A loud thunk sounded from above them and the Reaper jolted, head snapping to the ceiling as he tried to pinpoint the noise. It was followed by more thudding and soon enough little Leah came bolting down the stairs with her arms full of books. The young witch's thick, curly hair was pulled back into two puffs on top of her head and a dark brown fur robe covered her body with bear claws hung from the ends of her sleeves. "Mabaa! Mabaa! I found something!" the young witch tossed her stack of books on the ground in front of the Grand Witch.

It was a pile of children's tales and stories she was unfamiliar with. The little girl sat watching her expectantly and she realized what she wanted.  _"You may keep them."_  The little witch grinned, gathering her pile up again and bouncing her way to the Reaper. That was another thing to worry about. Leah had been more excited to see an actual death god than she had been afraid. If he decided to try and hurt them then her lack of caution might just get her killed. Even if Asura showed no interest in the little witch besides a wary glance here and there, Kirai was right. He was a death god. Killing was what they did.

Even though she kept telling herself that, she found herself doubting it. Though he may be a death god, Asura seemed far from powerful or intimidating. He was certainly more afraid of them than they were of him. And he hadn't tried to fight them aside from their initial meeting where he tried to defend himself with a pathetic little knife. Then there was what she realized was a fight or flight response when they restrained him.

A part of her wondered what Death had told his son about her people. Nothing good she would assume. Most likely horror stories about them or about witches like Arachne who would betray their own kind. Perhaps they could teach him differently. Show him what they were really like. If they did that it would be risky, but so was bringing a Reaper to the Witch's Realm to begin with. She would have to protect him from the other witches before she explained the situation and give him time to adjust, then she'd have to teach him about her people before going any further.

With a sigh the witch stood. She needed to find and speak to Kirai. As she passed by the Reaper she spared a glance his way. Though he had settled back into his previous position, he had his eyes pinned to the open book in Leah's hand while the young witch spoke softly to him. She couldn't tell if the Reaper was enjoying the company or not. Even with his wary expression he hadn't seemed too bothered by the child. Maybe he didn't see her as a threat because she was a child? Mabaa wasn't sure but she told herself it didn't matter.

It wasn't difficult to find Kirai, the sound of her swearing drifting from below as she shuffled through the supplies in the basement made sure of that. Yoru stood not to far from her, a smirk on her face as Kirai continued to work. She was the first to see Mabaa approaching, standing straight and greeting her with a chirp. "Grand Witch! Is there something you need?" At that Kirai straightened and faced her.

 _"I wanted to speak to Kirai. Though if I may, how have you two been after your fight about the Reaper?"_ Mabaa stated, stopping as she reached the taller women.

Kirai shrugged, but smiled softly. Mabaa assumed it had gone well. Yoru was the one to speak for the both of them. "We're alright! We've had worse fights over Kirai leaving her unmentionables where they shouldn't be. It was a small argument in comparison and at least I know she only wants to keep me safe!"

"Of course I do. We've only been married for a few weeks and these are dangerous times. I am not losing my wife so soon and if all goes well, I'll need your help with Leah." Kirai pointed out as she tossed aside a splintered piece of wood. "Anyway, what do you need?"

 _"It's about the Reaper."_  Mabaa stated. Kirai paused in her work and stood, brushing dust from her hands. Her expression had turned serious and she straightened as much as she could.

"What about him?"

Mabaa waved the witch over to her and once close enough, she spoke.  _"I believe it may be possible to bring him to our side. It is likely that his father has told him terrible things to make him fear us, perhaps we can change that. I would teach him about our customs and histories but I will need someone to help him manage his abilities and I trust your skills."_ There was a long pause and a look of unease from Kirai but no verbal response so Mabaa continued _. "I understand that you do not like him but it may be best for us."_

"I don't like it but I will do what I can. Do you know when we plan on leaving? The sooner we get to the Witch's Realm the sooner we find out if Leah has any other family and whether or not Yoru and I can take her in. And the sooner we get that Reaper somewhere others won't find him."

 _"I would like to go by noon tomorrow. Sooner if possible so be ready early."_ Kirai nodded once to show she understood and walked back to her wife. Mabaa stayed for only a moment before she went back upstairs. As she passed by Asura and Leah, she paused.  _"Leah, you need to sleep early tonight. Tomorrow we will go to our realm and see if we can find any more of your family."_

The little witch chirped out a quick, "Okay!" and went back to reading. However the Reaper met her gaze with utter horror, a pleading look in his golden eyes. Of course he would be afraid, but it had to happen and she had already decided to follow through with her plan to bring him along. So she turned her back to him and ignored him. He was going to come along whether he wanted to or not.

* * *

It was difficult to accept that Death had abandoned him and left him to survive alone. The realization had left a pit in his stomach, cold and empty. He had expected it though, and found it more difficult to accept that his father's neglect had lead to his capture by witches. Seeing no point in fighting anymore he had curled up and refused to move in case that had lead to him being hurt. He was their biggest enemy's son after all, surely they couldn't wait to torture him. From what he'd heard about witches from Death they would be more than happy to do so if he hadn't been a Reaper. But he was a Reaper and because of that they would most likely take their hatred of Death out on him.

Whispering voices in the back of his mind supplied examples of horrific tortures he'd read about and reminders of the few terrible experiments he'd heard of from Vajra's time with the Heretic Witch on rare occasions the weapon felt like sharing. He'd seen the scars left behind, both ones mentioned and unmentioned, and knew he never wanted to experience such terrible things himself. His fears and paranoia were already too much to bear most days and since his capture he'd been unable to keep the rising panic quelled very well.

When Mabaa had said they would be leaving for the Witch's Realm the next day, he knew he couldn't stay. They would imprison him and hurt him and he knew couldn't take that. He had to go, or at least had to try. He waited for them all to settle in for bed and fall asleep. Gathering his scarf in his mouth, he bit down and took a few deep breaths. A part of him screamed that what he was about to do was a bad idea but it had to happen if he wanted to escape his bonds. He gave an experimental tug on the ropes around his wrists and winced as they bit into the raw skin.

Grabbing one hand in the other, he squeezed it. Squeezed tighter and tighter until tears gathered at his eyes and every part of him screamed to stop. But he couldn't stop unless he wanted to be tortured relentlessly, so he continued until his bones creaked and he felt the snap. The scarf in his mouth muffled his scream as he bit down as hard a possible to keep quiet. He took deep, shaky breaths as he tried to calm himself and carefully peered around at the sleeping witches. It didn't seem like he woke them and he began to slide his broken hand through the twine, pulling the binds over it as gently as possible until his hands were free. Cradling the broken hand to his chest, he used his good hand to pick at the knots tying his feet together. They fell away much faster and he let out a sigh.

Asura stood slowly and pulled the scarf from his mouth and used the loose end to wrap his injured hand. Casting one more glance at the witches he inched around them towards the door. His hand had barely touched it when an eerie feeling settled over him. It shot a shiver up his spine and made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He debated whether or not to turn around but finally decided to chance it. A sleek, red fox stood on the stairs, it's pale gold eyes fixed to him. For a long moment nothing happened, but just when it occurred to him that this was a familiar the fox opened its maw in a blood curdling scream.

Kirai was the first to startle awake as soon as the sound was made, her head whipped towards it before turning back to the beam where he had been bound. The others had started to move by the time Kirai spotted him and he didn't wait any longer to throw the door open and flee into the snow. He could hear her angry shout behind him as she scrambled to her feet but tried not to think about it as he ran. Through the empty streets of the old town and into the woods surrounding it, he ran blindly as the panic welled up in his chest.

The souls behind him were the only reason he kept pushing forward as his breathing turned to soft pants and he stumbled along as fast as he could manage. Surely there had to be somewhere he could go, somewhere he could hide. A town, a cave, even an animal den. Anything that could help him escape the witches. A part of him knew it was pointless, even if he found a place to hide there was no snowfall to wipe away his footprints. The witches were right behind when he'd fled so surely they would have an easy time tracking him. Plus witches had brooms or some other method of flight so they could follow from above. He had no possible escape.

Being so caught up on his thoughts, Asura had missed the fifth and sixth souls that had joined the witches. They closed in quickly and he had only just heard the footsteps coming from the side before the animals lunged at him. The first missed, flying past and skidding to a halt in the snow. The second sunk it's fangs deep into his ankle and claws anywhere it could reach. The sudden attack tripped him up and he landed face first into the snow, pushing himself up quickly only to be forced back down by the first fox landing on his back.

The first fox began yipping loudly and Asura struggled again as the witches closed in on the sound. It wasn't long before he felt the fox leave just before a hand grabbed the back of his shirt. Kirai threw him back towards the other three, face twisted into an angry scowl. A twinge shot through both his wounded arm and leg from the rough treatment. Fear twisted his stomach into knots, leaving him nauseous and shaken.

"How the fuck did you get out." She demanded, stalking forward and crossing her arms over her chest. When he didn't respond immediately, she snatched him by the shirt and shook him. "Answer me! How did you get out?" The nauseous feeling in his stomach twisted again and he kicked at the witch with his uninjured leg. She dropped him in surprise and he rolled to his side to vomit what little he had in his stomach.

After a minute he looked up at Mabaa, who had placed herself between him and the young witch behind her. "I... I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I don't want to go... You're going to hurt me. Please let me go. I... I won't tell anyone I saw you." He spoke in a quiet and shaky voice, tears falling even as he tried to mask them.

Mabaa had been angry at first at the escape attempt, but now she believe she understood. He was terrified, unsure of what would happen to him but certain it wasn't anything good. It made perfect sense. Asura knew they were enemies of Death and Death had certainly made sure his son was terrified of witches. He thought they were going to harm him and he acted accordingly. Any witch would have done the same, save getting sick from terror and begging for mercy as soon as they were captured. Taking a closer look Mabaa noted that he kept his right hand tucked close to his body. When Kirai tried to approach him again, she held out her hand for the witch to stop.

 _"Be gentle Kirai, he's been injured enough. We need to treat the wounds."_  Though she had frowned at that, Kirai obeyed. Asura watched Yoru warily as she approached once Kirai had managed to shift him so his injured leg was easy to reach. Despite her clear order to be gentle, the boy was still shaking and crying quietly. She let herself feel the slightest bit of pity for him as it was clear he wasn't suited to be here in the first place.

Yoru bandaged the bite quickly, muttering under her breath about it almost being healed anyway. She moved to stand but stopped when Mabaa spoke again.  _"His hand is injured too."_  For a moment Yoru was confused but she gently grabbed each hand and squeezed lightly. When he hissed and tried to pull away from her she grabbed his arm to keep him still.

"How did you manage this? It must be painful." She asked softly as she wrapped nodded slowly but didn't try to speak again. Once finished, Yoru pulled twine out of her bag. She let him try to back away from it and gave him a moment before she spoke again. "I won't tie it tightly this time, this is only to keep the others from asking too many questions."

Asura turned to Mabaa once more with a pleading look, and the Grand Witch took the opportunity to explain. _"We cannot leave you here. We rescued Leah from Arachne's people and they may still be in the area. If we leave you, you will certainly face much worse than this. Your father won't be coming back for you so you are safer with us."_  She gestured to his injuries before continuing.  _"We have no interest in harming you further. Though I am not entirely sure what to do with you yet, neither I nor any other witch will harm you. You have my word, for whatever worth it has to you."_

Though he didn't exactly trust Mabaa, Asura still understood. Of all the witches, he feared Arachne the most. Just the mention of her could cause Vajra stress or panic and he remembered the few horror stories his friend had told him about the witch and her experiments. Death would not save him if Arachne captured him. Death had thrown him aside like he was trash. A part of him wondered if Vajra would save him or if he was trying to find him now, but the weapon would have no idea where to begin searching and would likely take ages if he didn't die first.

With a sigh, Asura nodded. Yoru helped him to his feet and he leaned heavily on her. The resigned look on his face left Mabaa feeling somewhat concerned but she brushed it off. "Now that we're all awake, we may as well prepare to leave. Gather everything you have and we will go home." The Grand Witch commanded, leading the way back to the building they were staying in.


	4. Chapter 4

They bound his hands behind him and blindfolded him, saying that he could not see how to enter their realm. It was an attempt to prevent him from escaping once there, he was sure. He was still Death's son and a threat to them even if his father had abandoned him and he couldn't fight back. They weren't going to give him something as powerful as the information Death wanted so badly. It was perfectly logical and he knew and understood that.

But knowing and understanding did nothing to stop the fear that welled up in his chest, catching in his throat and squeezing all the air from his lungs. It was a struggle to get himself to breath properly with the paranoia flooding his mind with gruesome images of what could possibly happened to him. Mabaa could be lying to him after all. What if her promises to not harm him were just a ploy to gain his cooperation for now?

He didn't have time to consider a possible escape before the air shifted and magic saturated the space around them. It was thick and heavy, weighing down on him. The witches around him didn't seem to even notice, but of course they wouldn't. This was most likely normal for them.

One of them reached down grab his arm and pull him to his feet, ignoring the frightened whimper that escaped him. He decided it had to be Yoru. Kirai would not have let him lean against her to keep the weight off of his wounded leg. Though it healed quickly, it was still painful to stand on and he was grateful for the assistance even if the witch terrified him. That gratefulness was quickly crushed as she told him, "Time to go." The phrase made his stomach turn, the new wave of anxiety bringing with it a dizzying nausea.

He debated begging them to leave him, let him go, but he already knew that was not going to happen. They caught him, a Reaper, and they made it clear there is worse waiting for him than being in their custody. Still, he shook his head frantically. No words came out when he finally gave in and tried to beg, only a strange choking sound. Yoru gently patted his arm...reassuringly? Asura wasn't sure but the contact made him flinch.

"It's going to be fine. We said we wouldn't harm you and no one else will." Despite her words, he doubted their truth. If not because of his paranoia then from the piercing gaze he felt from Kirai boring into his back.

Yoru shifted and for a moment he almost lost his balance. He hadn't expected her to walk forward without a warning like that. While she let him steady himself, he considered just curling up on the floor and refusing to move. It would accomplish nothing besides making it as difficult as possible for them to drag him into their realm. But then it could piss them off and he did not want to risk making things worse for himself.

He didn't know when they crossed through until Yoru stopped. She pulled away from him slowly so he could adjust to not having her for support. The sound of footsteps approaching them from the front frightened him and he tried to limp backwards. His back hit something and he froze, turning his head slightly as if he could somehow see what he'd hit through the blindfold.

Someone set their hands on his shoulders and he let out a startled yelp, lunging forward to try to get away. The hands held fast though, and Kirai's irritated voice sounded from behind him. "God dammit brat it's just me. Relax." He knew he wouldn't be able to relax but tried his best to steady his shaky breathing and the pounding of his heart against his chest. He nodded slowly to be sure she saw that he understood her.

"Grand Witch," came a stern voice from in front of him. "You've brought a prisoner I see. Shall I...?" Asura backed away from the voice again, a part of him sure they were reaching out for him.

 _"No."_  The answer was sharp and clear, taking him by surprise. He had been expecting Mabaa to hand him off the moment she could. Though he wasn't sure what that meant for him since she was keeping him with her for now.  _"Please contact any and all bear witches for me. We rescued one of their clan from Arachne's forces and would like to find any of her remaining family. Kirai and Yoru will continue to aid me with our charges."_ The other person, who Asura had assumed to be a guard at this point, said nothing more. They must have nodded because he could hear them walking away.

Yoru spoke up then, "Perhaps we should take a quieter street. The Reaper would draw a lot of attention and I'm not so sure that that's what we want right now." Asura nodded frantically in agreement at her words, making a small noise of agreement since he could barely form any real words with the anxiety practically suffocating him. For all he knew Mabaa could decide to go back on her word, assuming she planned on keeping it in the first place, and throw him to the wolves. He would rather not be passed off to countless witches who would be happy to take their anger with his father out on him.

Kirai flicked the back of his head and made an annoyed grunt. "You don't get a say in this, remember?" He nodded, slower this time, and turned towards where he'd last heard Mabaa's voice.

She didn't speak immediately, her silence dragging out another round of terror and anxiety to add to the pool of it already crushing his chest.  _"Don't look at me like that."_ She said suddenly and he wondered what kind of face he was making to get such a response.  _"You two will take a quieter route with Leah and the Reaper. If I am going to break the news that we now have Death's son with us, then it will be an official announcement and not by dragging him through the middle of the city. It would be far too messy that way and Leah does not need to be crowded so soon after her arrival."_

He heard the rustle of clothing as Mabaa brushed past them. Kirai took the lead and passed Asura off to the smaller witch again, which he was grateful for since Yoru was the least frightening of the adult witches. The walk was long and mostly quiet save for the occasional chatter from Yoru and Leah, the little witch excitedly asking questions about the city around them. Occasionally he would hear or sense someone else but it seemed there weren't many witches here.

"Almost everyone is going to welcome Mabaa back so the streets here are clear." Yoru spoke up suddenly, making him jump. "You keep looking around like you expect someone to suddenly jump out at you. I thought it would help to know."

Taking a deep breath, Asura nodded. "Th-thank you."

"Ah. So he finally speaks." Kirai's irritated voice grated out. Leah fell silent now and Asura got the feeling she was watching him. "I don't know what Mabaa is thinking but this idea is ridiculous."

"Kirai... "

The fox witch seemed to ignore the other's cautious tone as she continued. "Don't worry Yoru, I wouldn't turn on Mabaa and I would never leave you. I just think that if the Reaper's own father got rid of him then there must be some reason." Asura froze at the words, shoulders tensing under Yoru's touch when she laid a reassuring hand on them.

"Kirai."

"He could be a danger to us or there's simply nothing he can offer that Death could make use of. If Death had no use for him, what could we possibly get?" As her rant continued, Asura tried to shrink in on himself, hunching over in an attempt to seem smaller. If he could hebwould have wrapped his hands around himself for some form of comfort.

"Kirai!" Yoru's voice snapped out the name with a much harsher tone than he'd heard her use before. "That's enough! You don't need to be saying these things. At least not in front of the children."

"Don't ' _Kirai_ ' me! And what do you mean children? Leah I understand but him? He's a teenager, not a ten-year old!" She had stopped walking and Asura could only assume she was facing them now as she continued. "Aren't you worried? Death is cruel but he's an opportunist and he just threw away the opportunity to have another Reaper serve him! That doesn't seem right to you, does it? Don't you want to know what's wrong with him?" He tried to back away from her voice but Yoru kept a firm hand on his shoulder.

Her voice was frighteningly calm as she spoke this time. "We can worry about that later. Right now you need to calm down and we need to take these two to Mabaa's castle  _quietly_."

Kirai was silent for a moment after that, frustration rolling off of her in waves. "Fine," she finally spat out. "Just let me ask him one thing." He could sense the unease from Yoru beside him but she must have nodded because he could feel Kirai's angry presence invading his space as she got closer.

"Tell me Reaper, is there any reason you can think of that your father would toss you aside like some worthless trash? Anything he said or did that could possibly be why? You are supposed to have power. You could have been useful to him but something must have made you useless in his eyes. What is it? Do you know?"

Yoru stayed silent this time but Asura could almost see the rage on her face at the other witch's words. It was terribly strong, invading his senses through soul perception enough to paint a perfect picture. "I... I'm sorry..." he squeaked out. "I am... I'm scared. Father seems to hate that." It was the only thing he could think of. His father hated his own fear so much that he created another person to be rid of it. And when he couldn't even learn to defend himself, let alone be offensive, that must have been it. He failed as a warrior because he was afraid and this was his punishment for that. Being abandoned by Death and captured by the enemy with no idea of what they would do to him.

"That's it? That's all you can think of?" Kirai growled and he nodded furiously, hoping to appease her. Though her frustration only seemed to double, she backed off and continued walking. Yoru moved again and he followed reluctantly, jolting with a frightened cry when Leah grabbed his shirt.

"It's okay, the Grand Witch will take care of you. Mama always said it was her job to keep us safe." Even though the little girl meant it to be reassuring, it only unsettled Asura more. He wasn't a witch, that wouldn't apply to him but he didn't have the heart to tell her that.

* * *

Kirai slammed the door open loudly, turning around to grab him from Yoru's hands and shove him roughly through the door. Asura stumbled, tripping over his own feet and falling to the floor with a thud. "Kirai that's enough! Why don't you go take Leah to her room? You clearly can't handle this right now."

There was a long pause where Kirai said and did nothing, anger boiling the air around her. It was times like this that Asura hated his soul perception. He couldn't lie to himself when faced with people's true emotions no matter how much he might try. It didn't work when he was with Death and had to stand next to his father, feeling the frustration, anger, disappointment, and sometimes even loathing that rolled off of the god when he had to be near him. It didn't work when he could feel the other warlords fear and wariness around him. The only comforting presence he had was Vajra, who mostly seemed worried about him when he wasn't genuinely happy or content to have him near.

In this place, there was hardly anything close to a comforting presence. Despite being kind to him, Yoru was wary. Leah was more curious about him than happy to see him. Kirai loathed him. Mabaa... Mabaa was many things. She was cautious and determined, but there was a deep-seated anger when she was near. Most likely towards Death more than himself. It was still enough for him to be afraid of them.

Finally Kirai moved, stomping out of the room and slamming the door with a loud thud. He could hear Leah's cautious voice fading as she tried speaking to the older witch. Yoru came trotting over then, hands on his arms helping to sit him upright again. He didn't really feel like moving from that spot and pulled away from her to curl into a ball on the floor. She sighed behind him and let him be.

He stayed like that for a while, listening to Yoru pace the room and mutter something under her breath until he heard her approach and the  _shing_  of a blade being unsheathed. Then he froze, terrified and unsure what to do. He screwed his eyes shut and waited, expecting an attack. It lasted for only a moment before Yoru decided to talk to him. "It's alright." She said in a reassuring tone as she grabbed his hands gently. He could feel the twine around his wrists give way, the blade sawing through it with ease. "See? I'm only cutting these off."

As the twine fell away Asura pushed himself up. He rubbed at his raw wrists, remembering how Kirai had insisted on redoing the binds as tightly as possible in case he tried something. The blindfold came off slowly until it was tossed aside and he glanced around cautiously. They were in a small room, a wooden bed frame with a straw mattress on it in the far corner, a little wooden wardrobe, and a large mirror standing in the corner by the door. Confused, he turned to Yoru with a questioning look.

"This is your room. Mabaa told us to put you in one of these rooms instead of a cell." she explained as she stood. "As instructed I've added seals to the window and the main door to reinforce them and prevent any entry from anyone besides myself and whomever I give the permissions too. You will not be permitted to leave this room without Mabaa's orders and an escort."

Asura understood the seal part, it was a precaution. They weren't about to let a death god wander freely through their home. Still he couldn't wrap his head around the rest of it. "I... I am sorry. I don't..." he took a deep breath to try and focus, so he could ask. Talk clearly like a normal person would, like Vajra would. "I don't understand. What... What does Mabaa want from me? Why am I here and not in a cell?"

"...would you prefer one?" At the question he frantically shook his head. "Good. I'm not sure what exactly Mabaa plans to do with you, but if she wanted to hurt you then you wouldn't be in this room right now. I think Mabaa wants to show you what we really are."

"You're witches?"

Yoru smiled at his confusion, "No. I think she meant it differently. She wants to show you we aren't what your father told you. I think... I think she wants you to understand us, because if you understand us then maybe you won't be like your father. You won't kill us."

"I... I think I understand." He really didn't but just the thought of admitting that to Yoru after she spoke so honestly made him feel guilty. She didn't seem to catch the lie and her smile brightened. Standing up, she brushed her shirt off and offered him her hand. Asura took it with his uninjured hand and let her help him to his feet. It took a moment to steady himself as pain jolted up his leg from Kirai's fox bite. He held on to Yoru for support until he felt he could stand on his own.

He limped through the room slowly, using the furniture and walls as a crutch to make his way over to the bed. There was a loud bang from the door and Kirai's angry voice shouting from the other side. Frightened, Asura scrambled away until his back hit the wall. Yoru left quickly, the click of the door and fading of Kirai's voice the last sounds he heard before he was left completely alone.

* * *

Everything was falling apart. First Eibon had defected, running to Arachne of all people to finish one of his damned demon tools. And now Vajra had stood before him, angry and hurt, and Death could not seem to reason with him in any way. He would not listen, the usually level-headed teen seething as he demanded to know where his friend was. He wanted Asura. Demanded that Death tellbhim where his son was after asking politely for the thousandth time. Death refused to tell him. Refused to acknowledge the rift it was causing in his team as Vajra became more desperate for an answer until he finally broke down into tears and begged for them.

He wanted to know what happened to Asura, was he safe? Was he protected? Who was with him, someone must be because Asura cannot fight well yet and may need help. Was he even alive? The last one Death had answered because the insinuation that he had murdered his fragment was too much. He couldn't blamebthe boy. Vajra wanted to know where to find him and be sure his friend was fine. He insisted Asura would need him. He was alive but either alone or with a stranger. He would be afraid and Vajra had promised to help him when Asura was afraid. The boy made good points but Death refused to acknowledge his fragments existence ever again.

Vajra refused missions until Death told him what he wanted, and though it irritated the hell out of him he was stubborn. The weapon was at that rebellious age though, he would come to terms with the way things were no eventually though. He would forget about Asura soon enough. That was what Death told himself. It shouldn't have been such a shock to him to find Vajra gone when they returned one day. The anger came first, then the guilt. He had made a mistake, maybe Vajra had been right. Maybe this had all been a terrible decision.

Death wouldn't pretend to care for his fragment, some part of him did and Vajra's questions had stirred his concern. He'd ignored it until now but nothing was right. Everything started falling apart when he got rid of Asura. If he brought Asura back then maybe things would fix themselves. That's what he told himself as he left to the abandoned town to find his fragment. He would deal with the consequences of having the young god around later, right now everything was wrong and it needed to be fixed.

Snow fell softly as he landed in front of the house. There was no light filtering through the ruined window panes. Slowly pushing the door open, he stepped in. There was no fire but there was a bed moved near the pit. Piles of worn blankets were left nearby, laid out like beds. An uneasy feeling settled in his gut andbhe called out, "Asura!" Death waited for a moment, to see if he would get a response. "Asura it's me! I finally came back!" Nothing.

He tried reaching out with his soul perception but again there was nothing. Something akin to dread settled over him and he began searching the building. There was nobody upstairs or in the child's room to the side. The last place to check was the basement, and he lit a quick fire so he could have light with him. Again it was empty, but the ruined barrels and deep gashes on the stone foundation did not bode well for him. He tried calling out again but got no response. The only thing to suggest Asura had been there at all was the best of blankets partially buried in the rubble.

There was still a chance that Asura was there. He hurried back through the house, taking to the air as soon as the door flung open. Asura had to be around here somewhere, he wouldn't accept that he was gone. If Asura was gone then someone must have found him because it wasn't like the fragment to simply leave, and if someone found him then it could be any of his enemies. He wasn't sure if he could handle the guilt of leaving his own son to his enemies mercy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yay! New chapter!  
> So sorry for the wait, my work situation right now is not the best. I lost my last job so now I'm struggling to find a new one.

The reaper hadn't done much of anything since he was left in his room. Every time she would send Yoru to check on him he would be curled up uner his bed with a thin blanket. An aura of fear hovered around him and both concerning and frightening the witch. Yoru expressed worry towards the reaper, relaying that he still believed he would be harmed by them. The long silence had only served to feed the boy's paranoia. If things kept up like this, he may try something drastic and stupid in an attempt to escape. The slightest bit of concern raised it's head but she crushed it down. She wasn't concerned for him, that would be ridiculous. Death's child didn't need her concern.

Even as Mabaa told herself that, she still found herself standing outside his door. Adjusting the books and scrolls in her hands, she let herself in. She scanned the room, spotting the corner of a blanket poking out from underneath the bed. He was still hiding it seemed, so she walked over and set her things on the bed carefully. She stepped away from it before calling out to him.

"Asura. I know where you are, would you come out now?" At first there was silence and she assumed he was weighing his options. Her patience paid off because he eventually dragged himself out from under the bed to stand in front of her. He stood with slouched shoulders and kept the thin blanket pulled tightly around himself as he stared down at her with an uneasy expression.

They stood silently for a while, Mabaa scanning the boy to be sure he was unharmed and Asura too frightened to move or speak. When she decided that he was fine, she pointed to the bed and said,  _"Sit."_  He did as she commanded immediately and she felt some concern for him. During his capture he put up some fight, but now he seemed too obediant. His body was stiff and eyes darted around, a feeling of helpless terror begining to cloud around him.

It wasn't until doubts began to pull at her that she realized what this was. Madness. This was madness, turning the air thick and heavy and trying desperately to override all rationality. Her body stiffened, chest tight and paranoia gnawing at the back of her mind. It had been a very long time since she'd felt such fear, probably since her first time leading her witches to safety and staring Death In the face. But she was better than that now. She was a leader, the witch queen. She had long since learned to work around these feelings for the sake of her people and she would do so now.

A few deep breaths and no small amount of effort was needed to calm herself and push down the paranoia in her mind. She had to think rationally so she could calm the reaper as well. It would be bad for his madness to affect anyone else or for it to consume him. She was not someone he trusted though, so she doubted any physical or emotional comfort would be met with anything more than suspicion if not outright useless. The only option that came to mind was to distract him from his distress.

She picked a book randomly from the pile beside him and gently set it on his lap, the sudden touch causing him to jolt. It lasted a moment before he forced himself to sit still again, the only movement was the slightest shaking of his shoulders. Whatever was going through his head was nothing good, that much she was sure of. A frown pulled at her lips, no other ideas coming to her. If he were a witch this would be easy. She knew witches. But he was a reaper and she knew nothing about them, right?

It struck her suddenly that she may be over thinking this. Reaper or not he was just a kid. The madness may have some relation to his reaper status but maybe she didn't need to think so hard about how to handle him.

Mabaa sat herself beside Asura with enough space between them so that they would touch. She could feel the eyes tracking her and see the sudden tension but when she didn't move, he seemed to relax slightly. _"Perhaps I should have spoken to you sooner about what I plan to do with you."_  She started, seeing the tension return. Even after her promise that he would be safe, it seemed he hadn't believed her. _"Asura, I won't harm you. My main goal is to keep you out of reach of our enemies. Do you know what they would do to get a hold of you? Or what they would do if they did? Your father made it clear that he won't protect you, so this may be the safest place for you."_

She could feel his eyes on her again, probably scanning her for any signs of deception. The only way she would get through to him would be to speak honestly.  _"I've made the announcement that you are here, and while many are not happy abojut it they are willing to trust me on this matter. They will not harm you even if they are wary or unwelcoming."_  This was true, though she left out the part where at least half the witch population was baying for his blood and the other his head on a pike. It was a minor detail and she trusted them to trust her.

Asura shifted slightly so she risked a glance towards him. He wasn't watching her anymore but had settled his gaze on the book in his lap. It was probably for the best she kept talking, explain herself fully. He was still stiff and shaky, but the madness had begun to subside and a more thoughtful look replaced the sheer terror that had been plastered on his face earlier.  _"Those are all for you. They are accounts of our history. I thought you should learn more about us since all you know is what your father and his warlords have said. We generally prefer to pass history by word of mouth, but with Death murdering as many of us as he can find, we've taken to written history."_

 _"I want to teach you about us, and perhaps eventually our magic. Kirai, the angry woman you met when we found you, is willing to teach you basic combat. Yoru has offered to teach control and basic spells that every witch knows if you would like to learn. Reaper magics are something you may need to figure out yourself."_ Mabaa tried to lay everything out as simply as possible for him to think over and so he would realize she had nothing to hide.

The quiet whisper she heard was barely audible, but she managed to make out a "why". At her insistence, Asura repeated himself, "W-why would you offer to teach me anything? Aren't you worried what might happen? And...and why do you want me to learn to begin with?" He still spoke softly, refusing to look at her as he gripped the book in his lap so hard his knuckles turned white and his nails left indents on the leather cover.

_"Yes, I do worry. I still think it would be worth the risk. What I hope is that you may one day help protect us from your father. We survive by being crafty and stealthy and having large numbers. In terms of raw power we cannot compare to your father or the warlords as a whole, but you are a reaper like he is. You stand more of a chance against him than all of us combined."_

Mabaa didn't miss they way he bit his lip until it bled or how he brought one hand up to the two white lines in his hair with a pained look. She wondered what they were for a brief moment. Judging by his expression they were more than they appeared and held dome signifigant meaning she was unaware of. "But...I'm just..." he paused, glancing back her way with a wary look. He debated quietly with himself before finally changing the subject. "Wh-what if...what if I refuse? To.. To be your soldier I mean..."

He looked surprised when she shrugged. _"I suppose I cannot force you. Perhaps there will be something else for you to do here but it will be unlikely that you will ever leave our realm. Only witches know the way in and out."_

"So I have no choice?"

" _You do, but helping me protect my people will take you outside most. It is what I would prefer but..."_  She clarified, watching him shuffle nervously before adding,  _"None of that will matter for now. First I want you to learn our history and gain some control over your powers. You will have plenty of time to weigh your options and consider what you want. If there is anything you need or anything you want to know, do not be afraid to ask."_

Asura nodded slowly to show he understood. When he didn't say anything else, Mabaa stood to leave. "Ah... Mabaa..." The quiet voice caught her attention immediately and she paused, turning back to Asura. It took him a moment to find the words he wanted but finally he continued. "If... If it's not too much to ask, um... Could you find out about a friend of mine?"

 _"A friend?"_  She figured someone of Asura's nature would rarely have left the safety of his home let alone had the courage to make any friends outside it. And that didn't take into account whether or not Death would allow it in the first place. That meant she was either wrong, or there was someone within Death's ranks he considered a friend. Thinking back, she was sure she'd seen a much younger demon weapon with the warlords.

"Yes... His name is Vajra, he's around my age and he's always been kind to me. I doubt he would be alright knowing that father-" Asura cut himself off suddenly, unable to bring himself to say the words out loud. He shifted around, fidgeting with the blanket around his shoulders for a moment before he managed to speak again. "Vajra is not the type to tolerate such a thing. I'm sure he was looking for me. I just want to be sure he's alright."

The sudden certainty in the reaper's voice caught her off guard. He sounded so sure that his friend would try to find him. This friend was most likely the demon weapon she suspected. She almost wanted to shut down the request right here and now, but he was only asking if his friend was well. It wasn't like Asura wanted her to bring the weapon back. Her lips curled up in disgust at the thought of bringing someone like that back. They were still having difficulties accepting Asura's existence in the same realm and bringing back a demon weapon because the reaper requested it would make things even worse.

 _"I will see what I can find out, but I make no promises that I will find anything."_  Some of her witches were keeping an eye on the warlords. Asking them would be the easiest way to find out what she wanted to know. Her words earned her a nod and for a moment she thought she caught a small smile on his face before he ducked his head to inspect the book she'd given him. He still looked tense and she could feel the wariness roll off of him even though he seemed calmer now. As she left she was sure she heard him call out with quiet thanks.

It may be in her best interests to check in on him more frequently. If he could get used to her presence, it would be easier for the both of them if he was not so afraid of her.

* * *

Mabaa's visits became more frequent despite her lack of news on Vajra. He still found himself frightened by her, unsure if she would suddenly change her mind and resort to violence, but she was always calm and patient and asked about his injuries until they finally healed. He wished she would find some news on Vajra soon, his worry for the other boy continued to pester him and drew his attention from his studies.

Speaking of studies, Mabaa made a habit of assigning him something to read and then quizzing him on the history of witches. It was far more interesting than he had expected. The way Death talked about them made it seem like they just suddenly appeared one day, wrecking havoc on innocent humans. That was why he was supposed to become a warlord. To help protect the humans from a more powerful foe.

In reality it seemed that neither side was really innocent. It started long before he was alive, back when witch clans were allied only to their own and covens had yet to really take root in their society. The books and scrolls recorded both witches using magic to money or food from humans or giving in to their destructive instincts and humans gaining up against witches for some of the same reasons, using their sheer numbers against smaller groups or lone witches. Both became angry with each other for the wrongs done by a few from the other side and many quarrels broke out.

He had yet to reach the part where Death entered the fray, but he wasn't sure if he was alright with knowing the witches' side of the story. Death was never one for telling stories, or if he was, it was never something he did for his son. Oh how he tried to get his father to talk to him, but Death's temper always seemed to flare when he was around and the older god was much more terrifying when his ire was directed at him.

Still, that was one "story" he managed to pry from his father. Death said the witches started the war. According to him, he had to step in to defend a city from a large force of them. After his interference he claimed they became more violent, forming larger groups and powerful organizations to challenge both humanity and himself. Thinking back on it, it sounded conceited, and Death was a god so he should have been fair in judging the situation. But he knew Death favored humans nowadays, moreso than his own son. It wouldn't be too hard to believe that Death held that favoritism back then as well.

Today Mabaa seemed different and that set him on edge. Though she held her usual posture, there was an air of uncertainty about her. He pretended he wasn't looking and kept his nose buried in a book on the first covens the witches formed as he laid on the bed. His focus was no longer on the words though, and he waited for her to break the silence. Instead she sat herself beside him and gave him a pat on the leg, his soul perception picked up that the action was meant to he comforting.

"Ma...Mabaa..." He began cautiously. This was the first time he had ever tried to initiate a conversation with the woman. "Is everything alright?" When she didn't answer right away he tried to figure out what he did wrong. It lasted only for a moment though.

 _"About your friend..."_ She started, feeling the boy shoot upright behind her at the mention of the weapon. A feeling of unease settled over her but it didn't feel like her own so she could only assume it was from Asura.

Before Asura had the chance to ask, she continued speaking.  _"I finally heard back from my spies. While they cannot give me any specific information, they found out through the towns people that your friend disappeared a few months ago. It's rumored he defected because Death refused to let him search for someone who went missing. His own words apparently. He was doing well when he left but no one has seen him since."_  She would give Asura a moment to process what he'd learned, but couldn't resist glancing back at the boy.

She had never seen him smile before, watery and accompanied by tears of relief that ue tried to wipe away quickly. "Vajra did come looking for me... He didn't leave me alone."

 _"It would seem so."_  She responded quietly, unsure how to handle the current situation. She waited a few minutes to add,  _"I have sent orders to all witches in the human realm to look out for your friend and report back to me how he is, where he is, and what he is doing. They have orders not to harm him as well."_  Technically speaking it was 'do not engage'. He was a demon weapon, a project of Arachne's and a servant of Death even if he had defected, who's very existence relied on the deaths of someone's loved one. If the kid was fighting by Death's side, he was certainly powerful enought to hold his own. She had to tread carefully for the sake of her followers.

Asura didn't seem to put much thought into it, his smile widening as he muttered a quiet 'thank you'. "You didn't have to do that. I mean... I didn't expect you would." He had feared the worst. That Vajra had abandoned him just like Death did. The thought of his only friend possibly having thrown away their entire relationship just to keep Death's favor left a bitter taste in his mouth even if it was only his mind forcing him through such scenerios. "Um... Did you need anything else?"

Mabaa nodded,  _"Yes. You've been rather well behaved and I've been short-staffed, so I would like you to come act as my assistant for a short while. It would do well for you to get out of this stuffy room."_

"I...yes! I can do that!" Asura exclaimed quickly. He had been cooped up in the little room since he got there, and it would be a nice change to see the witch's city. Reading their history books left him curious about the town and the witches in it. Aside from that, he figured it was in his best interests to do what she asked. The thought of having to face other witches terrified him still and he wasn't sure he could trust Mabaa completely, but he was starting to doubt she would harm him without reason. She made it clear in the past that she wanted his cooperatiion. If she had to she might hurt him, but it seemed like she knew that wouldn't make it easier.

His agreement brought a smile to the witch's face as she nodded. " _Good, I will come and get you tomorrow."_ She stated, reaching out to pat his head gently. It was a subconcious action spurred by a habit of doing it for younger witches that made him freeze with a confused expression. Asura clearly didn't know how to react to it even after she stepped away, opting to hide his confusion behind the book in his hands. She chose not to comment on it though an left him alone with a quick good-bye.

Once she was gone, Asura lowered the book and sighed. He wasn't sure what he was doing now. All he could do in this situation was play along with what Mabaa wanted, right? Doing what she asked would at least keep him unharmed, but he wondered if there was any way to leave besides working for them. He didn't want to be Death's warlord anymore but he didn't want to be Mabaa's either. The thought of having Death as his opponent was terrifying. But what else was there?

A part of him suggested that he could go and find Vajra. That would be a good idea! Vajra was searching for him. If they could meet, then they could stay together and he wouldn't be alone anymore. He wasn't sure what he would do at that point but they would think of something. He just needed to play along until he found a way out and learned where the man was from Mabaa's spies.


	6. Chapter 6

Being Mabaa's assistant wasn't so bad. For the first week he was mostly just following her around and learning the location of everything. The worst thing he'd had to deal with was the extra work on top of his studies. Mabaa still insisted he keep up on his history studies but had lessened the amount of reading and frequency of her random quizzes. It was an awkward transition from doing nothing but reading to trailing after the witch queen.

Thankfully, he picked up on the location of everything fairly quick. Most of his time was spent in the library or Mabaa's study, doing everything from organizing books, scrolls, and loose leaf papers to fetching things she needed. He was surprised to not run into any witches during this time, but Mabaa herself eventually told him she had arranged things to avoid that for a short time. She had undoubtedly noticed his fears and thought ahead to make this adjustment easier.

His only issue was that he wouldn't have more time to adjust to his new role before he was met with unfamiliar witches. One week was too short in his opinion and the first time he was faced with an unfamiliar witch, it took everything he had to keep his breathing steady and fight the nauseous feeling his fears caused. He hadn't recognized her at first. Of course he had never seen her before himself, only heard the name through Vajra or one of the others.

Medusa Gorgon was a terrifying woman. Though smaller than him, she exuded confidence and stood tall as if she thought there was no one better than her. Even in front of Maba, she had an air of superiority that he cowered away from. Her eyes flickered to him for a brief moment, a spark of interest clear in them as she shared what she knew of her elder sister's whereabouts. 

The whole time she kept her gaze pinned to him and as she finished her report, she nodded to him. "So this is your little reaper pet?" The smile that crossed her face sent shivers up his spine and he buried his face in his scarves, shifting to stand behind Maba. There was a tint to her voice that just screamed 'danger' to him.

"He is Asura. For now he helps me with small things as my  _ assistant  _ while he adjusts to living in our realm." Maba emphasized the word assistant but whether it was for his sake or simply to disagree with the other woman, he wasn't sure. "If there is nothing else Medusa, then please leave."

"Could I borrow him? He could be valuable for my research and if I learn of any weakness from him it could help us defeat Lord Death." The smirk on her face was too confident but her words still earned Maba's interest. 

A spark of curiosity that he felt in her soul made him shake, biting his lip so hard he could taste the coppery tang of blood in his mouth. If Medusa was Arachne's sister then he would bet nothing good would come from having her interest or being a part of her research. Vajra came to mind, how the only time he ever seemed truly frightened was when he remembered Arachne or her experiments.

"Asura." Maba spoke firmly, casting a glance over her shoulder. He jumped at the mention of his name, heart pounding so much that he couldn't think enough to string words together. The older witch turned back around to face Medusa. "I cannot give him to you. As you can see, he is too skittish. I worry that whatever you do to him may harm him too much for me to follow through with my own plans for him."

Medusa's smirk fell away, eyes narrowing as she glared over Maba at the reaper. "...I see. Well. If you change your mind let me know first." Her posture stiffened as she forced a smile back on her face and bowed. "I will see you again if anything changes with my sister, so please at least consider my request." Maba waved a hand dismissively and the younger witch left, slamming the door behind her.

It was quiet for a few moments before Maba spoke again, "Do you have such little faith in me that you believe I would give you to someone like her so easily?" When he didn't respond to her immediately she sighed and gestured for him to sit down. 

Asura was quick to obey, sitting in the nearest chair he could find and folding his shaking hands together to hide it from Maba. He knew it was pointless, his posture was stiff as a board and every breath he took was short and uneven. There was no way the witch hadn't noticed. When she asked him that question, he didn't know how to respond to her at first.

It took a moment to calm himself enough to speak to her in even a quiet voice. "I… I can't help it. I'm… I'm…" He paused. Should he continue that sentence? Something told him he should just tell Maba about why he was so afraid in case his fears caused him trouble in the future. As far as he could tell, she only thought that he was afraid of her and of being in their realm. She knew nothing about how he was created or what the other warlords expected of him and a part of him thought it unfair.

Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "I… It's not that I'm ungrateful, but I cannot get rid of my paranoia or my fears. Father made me from his own fears so that he could be a perfect god of order." Maba said nothing in response, just folded a hand under her chin and leaned forward. It took him a moment to realize she expected him to continue and he stuttered as he tried to figure out how to explain it.

"I… I don't really understand everything about it. He never told me himself, just left me to learn what I could from the others or from listening in when they would speak." Asura fixed his eyes on a spot on the floor, shoulders tense and one foot tapping on the floor nervously. “A-As a result, I… I can’t get rid of my fears no matter what I do. It used to make father angry because I was too scared to train. I don't think there's anything I can do to stop it.”

“I see. How irresponsible of Death.” There’s an angry and disgusted tone to her voice as she speaks his father’s name, but somehow he feels it isn’t the same as usual. For a moment he wonders if she is angry for him. He brushed the thought aside quickly though. Why would she be angry on his behalf? “Is there anything else?”

Asura thought for a moment, tightening his grip on his own hands as he tried to muster the courage to speak again. He already told Maba this much, he could at least give her a fair warning about himself. “Well… Father and the others used to say that I’m likely to go mad because I’m… I’m like this. I don’t want to go mad, but I can’t do anything to get rid of my fears.”

“If you can’t get rid of it, then don’t try. You’ll only stress yourself out trying to do the impossible.”

“But-” Asura was cut off as Maba held up her hand.

“Asura, is it your fear you dislike or your inability to manage it and your reactions because of it?” Maba asked, crossing her arms and leaning back in her seat. She watched him hesitate, confusion clear on his face as he thought about her question. It was obvious that he never put any thought into it before.

After a long moment, he finally responded. “Both? I… I’ve never really thought about it. I’m sorry.”

Maba nodded as she watched him fidget nervously. She debated continuing the conversation but a part of her worried about pushing Asura too far too soon. So she waved a hand dismissively at his apology and said, "Don't apologize, it is no problem. Now, I need you put these books in the library and get me these spellbooks." 

Asura didn't respond immediately. The sudden change of subject seemed to throw him off and took a minute for him to process the request. Carefully he took the parchment from Maba's hand and read it over before folding it up and tucking it in his pocket. He gathered up the books he needed to return and left, stopping only to spare a glance back in case the witch needed anything else. Maba only waved him on though, so he left. 

Now that she was alone, Maba sighed. It made a little more sense to her now why Death got rid of his son. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with the information now. Asura was wary but he wasn’t hiding from her anymore so she couldn’t go back on her word. Still, if he did go mad then the entire witch population could be at risk. If it came down to it she would choose the witches as it was her duty to protect them, but a part of her hoped there was some way to prevent the reaper’s possible downfall.

Her mind drifted back to Asura himself. It seemed he was aware of how Death felt towards him to some extent, but like a child he ignored it until he couldn’t. He knew Death created him from what his father viewed as an imperfection, heard them talk about him behind his back about being a threat. Asura must have assumed that all of this was related to his abandonment and was clearly affected by it. 

Anger twisted her gut. Her hands balled into tight fists as she took deep breaths. Death was a worse person than she thought. His own neglect could have been what would push his son over the edge of madness had Asura stayed with him. How he could do something like this to someone like Asura was beyond her. A part of her wondered how he stayed sane while under Death’s care. The boy had no idea how to handle his own fears and Death clearly didn’t try to help him. 

There was a knock on her door suddenly and she jumped. Quickly composing herself and pushing her previous thoughts aside she called them in. A part of her had been expecting Asura to be back, but instead it was Kirai. The taller woman glanced around the office for a moment before throwing herself down into a seat. “Where’s your reaper?”

“Library.” Maba responded automatically. 

Kirai raised an eyebrow at this. “You let him off leash so soon? I’m shocked and disappointed. And you cost me a good bit of money with this move.” 

Maba only stared at her, clearly not amused, so Kirai changed the subject. “Maba, you seem fond of him already even if you’re being careful. You aren’t getting too attached to him right?”

“I am trying not to but I am starting to think it may be better to be a little attached. From what little he’s told me, Death certainly held no attachment to him and he is still young. Children need someone to rely on and it seems likely that Asura had no one.” Maba explained as she leaned forward on her desk. 

An idea crossed her mind and she smiled to herself. Asura didn’t have a real parent, just a master who saw him as an imperfection and abandoned him. She wasn’t sure if she was the best candidate, but perhaps she could take that role for him. It could help prevent him from falling to madness to have someone’s support and she could have a child without forgoing her duties to raise one herself. Maba wasn’t about to lie to herself and say the idea wasn’t appealing. 

“I’m… not going to ask what the smile’s for.” Kirai spoke suddenly and drew her attention again before continuing. “I should get on track with why I’m here. We got a report from some of our spies about that little thing you asked us to keep an eye on. The reaper’s friend.”

Maba motioned for her to continue, and Kirai tossed a bundle of papers on the desk. Opening it, her eyes fell on the drawing of the weapon, a dark-skinned boy with his long hair pulled back behind him and wearing heavy fur armor. “What was he doing last?”

“Still looking for Asura it seems. Last we saw he encountered Eibon and has been following him since. Probably thinks Eibon could help him.” Kirai explained before adding, “They headed north last we heard. Eibon would know where Asura was left, though I didn’t think he would actually help the guy. Do you think there’s some reason beyond their time as warlords that would have Eibon agree to help?”

“Eibon does take pride in his creations. I cannot say for sure, but he may be fond of this one. This Vajra boy is still one of Eibon’s creations and that may affect how Eibon views him.” Maba stated simply as she shuffled through the rest of the report. “If that’s everything then you are excused.” 

Kirai stayed put for a moment before she asked, “When do you want me to start training this brat? I’ve already got a plan set up to start at any time. And before you ask, no, I did not make it exceptionally difficult. I don’t like reapers but I will do my job properly. Yoru already asked that.”

“I will contact you once I convince him.”

Kirai accepted the answer with a nod and stood. She bowed low and strode back through the door, pausing only to let Asura through. He cast a nervous glance towards the woman as he passed, clearly seeing the wariness that crossed her face at the sight of him. Maba waited until he found a safe place to set the books she asked for before calling him over.

He stood over her, shoulders slumped and unease clear in his eyes, but she only gestured for him to bend down. Once he did, she reached up to ruffle his hair and give a quick, “Thank you.” Asura nodded once, tense under the touch. He fixed his eyes on the desk and she had only seen his eyes widen before a hand slammed down with a loud bang. 

Maba reeled back as Asura snatched the papers from her desk. It took a moment to realize what exactly had happened. When she remembered she had left Kirai’s report on Asura’s weapon friend out she relaxed and let him flip through it. There was nothing much in it, just a more detailed account of Kirai’s summary, so there was no problem in letting the god see it. She would have told him anyway.

Soon Asura lowered the report, sheepishly setting the papers back where he found them. “Sorry I…” He paused, shoulders drooped and head lowered with an almost ashamed expression on his face. “I jus-” Maba held a hand up to stop him before he could continue.

“The report just got here but there’s no need to look so ashamed. I would have told you what is on it anyway.” She assured, “You must be relieved. Your friend is in good company.”

“Of course. I was worried about him being alone. Even though I know Vajra is very capable he is only human.” Asura said as a small smile crossed his face. 

Maba nodded, folding her hands in her lap as she thought. Asura’s worry for the weapon made her wonder what exactly their relationship was like before he ended up in their realm. She knew her curiosity would get the better of her eventually so she asked, “For you to be so attached to him… I wonder, what is your friend like?”

There was a pause where Asura was considering whether to answer or not. She watched him chew on his bottom lip anxiously for a long moment before he faced her with the brightest smile she had ever seen on his face. “Vajra is very kind and patient with me. Because of how I was created I didn’t know a lot of things I should have at first. Fa- Death thought I should and didn’t teach me anything and the others were mostly uninterested in me. Vajra was the one who insisted on being close to me because we are about the same age and when he learned I didn’t know something he would show me.”

“He would also comfort me when I was too afraid of something and he often tried to help me with my training or learning to manage my fears. I used to be much worse. I could hardly leave my room back then but Vajra kept me company when he could. He even used to promise that we would be partners one day when Death said I was ready.” The fondness Asura spoke with made it much more clear how important this weapon was to him than his words ever could. 

A part of Maba was curious about this weapon now and she wondered if he would be so loyal as to join them for Asura’s sake. Having a reaper like Asura and one of Death’s defected warlords would greatly boost their chances of survival. Perhaps even Eibon would join them? She shook her head slightly, ridding herself of those thoughts. For now she needed to focus on Asura and since he had already mentioned training, now was a good time to bring it up.

“I’m glad to hear you had someone who cared about you. Now, I need to ask you something.” She waited until she had his full attention before adding, “I would like you to start combat training with Kirai.”

Asura’s expression changed in an instant, smile falling away and eyes going wide. She was quick to continue before he could find the words to object. “I am aware how Kirai feels about you and Yoru has offered to supervise these sessions. She doesn’t dare step out of line.”

“But why?”

The question was sudden but it didn’t catch her off guard. “Remember Medusa earlier? She isn’t the only witch who might pose a threat to you. Most will listen to my decision but some who hide here are not loyal to me. If they attempt to hurt you or use you for their own gain, I want you to be able to protect yourself. Some may be bold enough to do so in my own home. If you need time to consider it, then please do.” She added the last part upon seeing Asura’s uneasy expression. 

“Can… can I think about it? Just over the night?” He asked and she nodded immediately. It was the expected answer and she had no problem waiting for his answer. She already knew working with Asura required patience.

“Of course. Take as long as you need. Now come here and put these away for me please.” She changed the subject quickly, sliding a stack of reports his way. He set the report on his friend down reluctantly to take the others and hurried to do as he was told. Maba watched him for a moment before turning her attention back to the files Asura left. 

No matter how possible the idea sounded to her, she knew she couldn’t bring a demon weapon back. It was not likely to happen within the weapon’s lifetime at least. The wounds Arachne left were far too fresh and it would seem suspicious to anyone outside of the small circle of witches who knew the reaper. She just hoped she wouldn’t give Asura the wrong idea by keeping him updated.


End file.
